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Wes chimes in like a chorus, “My family has a place on the slopes. There’s skiing, a hot tub, pool, sauna, numerous surfaces to do whatever it is y’all do.” He dangles the keys in front of her. “Unman him with my blessing, Viper.”
“Seriously? Wow.” Another first. She’s lost for words. “My instincts are screaming at me to pop off with my usual snarky personality. I… um… it doesn’t fit right now. Look, I’ve felt unsupported in dance and what makes me happy for a long time. I’ve danced for strangers since I was about sixteen.
“Knowing Eli was out here was awesome. But then finding you both,” she pauses then smiles, looking down at the keys she’s palming in her hand, “it means a lot to me that you cared enough to come support me, not to mention help with this. Thank you.”
Then she smiles with a look that’s as wicked as it gets. “I won’t unman him because, well, that’s no fun for me. But we will take these keys and your permission. When do we leave?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Elijah
I’ve done this drive so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. Wes’s family has owned this home in Vermont since we were sixteen. I remember the first weekend my parents let me go with his family. He and I stayed in the room that had the bunk beds. Wes’s mother was not sure she ought to let us be on one side of the house alone, but she did it anyway.
They went to bed early, so we snuck into the beer refrigerator in the wet bar off the kitchen. We learned quickly they would only glance on the inside and never count, so we became experts at facing out the cooler. We’d sit sideways on the bunks, his over mine, and we’d talk about what it would be like to have girls up here.
We tested that theory after graduation. They let us come alone. The girls snuck up later in their car. Wes took one side of the house and I took the other. It was three days of “Don’t ask and don’t tell until you get home”. It’s been about five years since the last time I was there. It’ll be nice to be back.
Dylan yawned her way through about ninety minutes of playing DJ until I told her to give in and go to sleep. She was up so early; she’d danced to perfection. She can relax now until after break. About an hour ago, I reached into the back seat and pulled my ski jacket out to cover her up.
She’d pulled her knees up, curling into the perfect ball in her seat. Dylan’s head rests on the padded console. Every so often, I reach over and stroke the apple of her cheek. Either she curls up tighter with a little noise or she doesn’t move at all.
We pull into the driveway about two in the morning. The housekeeping staff had been here and left a couple of lights on for us. I can’t wait for her to see our surroundings in daylight. We went from skyscrapers and slush to fresh powder nesting into a mountainside. God, I love the East Coast.
“Dylan,” I whisper. “Hey, beautiful, wake up. We’re here.”
She groans. “Just five more minutes, Mom.”
“You can have as many minutes as you want once we’re inside.”
She stretches like a cat after a long nap from her fingernails down to her toes. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay awake.”
“I’m not. Now you don’t have any excuses not to get into the hot tub with me.”
“Damn. That was my line.”
“I know.” I kiss her nose. “I’ll get the bags. Put that coat on. It’s cold outside.”
“The boss is here too? Nice. I’ve taught you well.”
She’s right. She has. I spent a number of years with Tori, and since Tori, thinking I could only be confident in one place. Dylan taught me I can be as strong as I am in business when I’m at play. Merging the two is not a bad thing. For us, it’s only been good.
“This place is amazing. They renovated it about seven years ago. I can’t wait to try the sauna and heated rain shower.”
“My knees could use both.”
“Are you still sore?”
“I can’t name a dancer who doesn’t have something.”
“Well then, let’s see if I can fix that again.”
We open the front door, and I turn off the security system. There’s a glow coming in from the back of the house. The chill of the late-night air is quickly dimmed by the warmth of this house. I reach for her hand, leading her to the back. “There are so many cool things to see. You’ll notice in the morning, as the light comes in, you’re surrounded by mountains on all sides. We’re kind of in a little valley. We have a private entrance to the downhill runs on the other ridge, and if you look out this window down past the deck, there’s our first stop, the hot tub.”
She rests her head back on my chest. “Do we have to worry about neighbors?”
“None to speak of for a half mile.”
“Naked and loud. I like this idea.”
